1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of promoting the activity of decomposition enzyme in food materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various kinds of food materials containing various kinds of decomposition enzyme for decomposing ingredients included therein. For example, a lot of amylase in the form of starch decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in grains such as rice, barley and the like or potato containing starch as a main component, and a lot of protease in the form of protein decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in grains such as barley, beans and the like. Furthermore, a lot of lipase in the form of oil and fat decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in beans, seafood, beast meat, bird meat, domestic animal meat and the like.
In the case that a food material processed in a raw condition is provided as raw foodstuff or a food material cooked by heating process is provided as heat-processed foodstuffs, decomposition enzyme in the food materials decomposes ingredients of the food materials and effects to add taste or flavor to the processed foodstuffs.
For example, in the case that a food material containing a lot of starch is subjected to a water addition process or a kneading process in a raw condition or subjected to a heating process, a lot of fresh water such as city water is used for processing the food material In such a processing, starch in the food material is decomposed by amylase contained in the food material to produce monosaccharide or oligosaccharide. The monosaccharide or oligosaccharide is a sweetness ingredient which effects to add flavor to the raw foodstuffs or the heat-processed foodstuffs.
Similarly, in the case that foodstuffs such as barley, beans or the like containing a lot of protein are processed by heat, the protein is decomposed by protease in the form of protein decomposition enzyme. In the case that foodstuffs such as various beans, meats, sea foods or the like containing a lot of oil and fat component are processed in a raw condition or processed by heat, the oil and fat are decomposed by lipase in the form of oil-fat decomposition enzyme to add flavor to the foodstuff.
It is, therefore, presumed that activation of decomposition enzyme in the food materials is useful to increase the taste or flavor of the foodstuffs processed in a raw condition or processed by heat. As a method of promoting the activity of the decomposition enzyme in the food materials, there have been proposed a method of adjusting pH of water used for processing the food materials in an extent of 5-6 pH, a method of increasing the concentration of metal ion such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, manganese ion and the like in the water used for processing the food materials, and a method of retaining the food materials added with water for a predetermine time at 40xc2x0 C.-60xc2x0 C. before processing the food materials. These methods are effective to activate the decomposition enzyme in the food materials in an optimal condition.
In the method of adjusting pH of the water used for processing of the food materials in a range of 5-6 pH an adjusting agent of pH is added to the water used for processing the food materials. Addition of the adjusting agent causes difficulty to adjust the pH of water to a predetermined value prior to each processing of the food materials. It is also required to carefully select the pH adjusting agent and determine an amount of the pH adjusting agent from a viewpoint of health.
In the method of increasing the concentration of various ions in the water used for processing the food materials, it is required to precisely measure an amount of metal compound for addition to the water prior to each processing of the food materials for adjusting the concentration of the metal ions to an optimal value. Although lactic acid calcium, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, manganese chloride and the like can be used as the metal compound, the taste of the processed foodstuffs is deteriorated if the amount of the metal compound is excessive, and the decomposition enzyme may not be sufficiently activated if the amount of the metal compound is too small.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a method of promoting the activity of decomposition enzyme in food materials without using any pH adjuster for adjustment of the pH of water used for processing the food materials or without adding any metal compound for adjustment of the concentration of the metal ions.
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by a method of promoting the activity of decomposition enzyme contained in a food material, wherein the food material is brought into contact with electrolyzed water to activate the decomposition enzyme.
In the activation method, it is preferable that electrolyzed acid water or alkaline water is used as the electrolyzed water, and the food material is retained in an amount of the electrolyzed acid water or alkaline water at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. In the case that the food material is wheat, it is preferable that the wheat is retained in an amount of electrolyzed acid water at the predetermined temperature for the predetermined time. In the case that the food material is rice, it is preferable that the rice is retained in an amount of electrolyzed acid water at a temperature range of 30xc2x0 C. to 50xc2x0 C.